Link Centre Dictionary

grate

UK/ˈɡɹɛjt/ US/ˈɡɹeɪt/ uncommon obsolete
noun (3) verb (5)

noun

1.

a frame of iron bars to hold a fire

Synonyms
2.
3.

a barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air

Synonyms

verb

1.

furnish with a grate

  • “a grated fireplace”
2.

gnaw into; make resentful or angry

  • “The unjustice rankled her”
  • “his resentment festered”
Synonyms
3.

reduce to small shreds or pulverize by rubbing against a rough or sharp perforated surface

  • “grate carrots and onions”
  • “grate nutmeg”
4.

make a grating or grinding sound by rubbing together

  • “grate one”
Synonyms
5.

scratch repeatedly

  • “The cat scraped at the armchair”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English graten, from Old French grater (“to scrape”) ( > French gratter), from Frankish *krattōn, from Proto-Germanic *krattōną. Cognate with Old High German krazzon ( > German kratzen (“to scrawl”) > Danish kradse), Icelandic krassa (“to scrawl”) and Danish kratte.

Phrases

  • fire grate
  • grate upon
  • register grate
  • rocking grate
  • step grate

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

Entails

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.